Saturday, December 19, 2015

Andy Cirzan's 2015 Christmas Comp Is Here

Andy Cirzan

As longtime readers of this blog can attest, one of the things I look forward to every holiday season is the annual appearance of Andy Cirzan on Sound Opinions, the weekly radio talk show about rock and roll produced by WBEZ Chicago and hosted by by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot. You see, Andy is one of the patron saints of the genuine holiday music aficionados. He's been making and circulating holiday music mixes for 27 years now – a full dozen years more than me. And it's always a treat to hear what he's selected for his annual "Christmas comp" ("comp" in the vernacular of the holiday music collector, is short for is short for compilation). It's also fun to hear him talk about his choices on Sound Opinions, which we can all do this week thanks to the magic of the internet. Andy's latest Christmas comp is titled Holiday Hangout at Hillbilly Holler, which features an assortment of little-known holiday tunes from the world of country and bluegrass. Be sure to check it out.Incidentally, Andy is one of the many collectors and performers featured in Jingle Bell Rocks, the amazingly wonderful 2014 film by holiday music collector Mitchell Kezin. It's been described as an

exclusive backstage pass into a fascinating underground world of alternative Christmas music. Starring an eclectic cast of characters – The Flaming Lips, Run DMC, John Waters – plus two dozen amazing & original songs, JINGLE BELL ROCKS! is a cinematic sleight ride into the strange and sublime universe of alternative Christmas music.

For me, it's a touching and spirited look at the beauty and fun to be had from the world of offbeat holiday music. It will certainly resonate with other holiday music enthusiasts, and it might serve as a kind of explanation to friends and family of the obsessive collectors – or at the very least a welcome piece of evidence that there are others out there with this same addiction. Here's a trailer for the film, which is now available on iTunes or through amazon.com:

Countdown to Christmas

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